About

Dr. Taffy Wagner, CEPF

Bride and Groom Interview with Dr. Taffy

Please take a moment to read this before hiring Dr. Taffy

How long have you been doing premarital financial counseling and what made you focus on marriages?
It all started back in 1995 when I met my husband Eric, who had an independent career and counseling business for juniors and seniors in high school. He was saying to high school students and parents that students could go to college and get a four year degree in less than four years without putting the family in debt. I was introduced to him by some mutual friends because he was searching for some administrative help. I met him to interview for the job and shared my background with him not really know what it was that he did and learned shortly thereafter that I had DONE with my college education what he had been attempting to teach these families. Needless to say, I got the job and began learning the ropes of career and college counseling for high school students and families.

Part of this counseling included working with the parents when it came to financial aid, completing the financial aid form and knowing how to get scholarships. I began attending seminars and speaking with Eric, then going to client meetings and counseling them on how to complete financial aid forms, scholarships and what the benefits of work study was for their youth. There were times when I wouldn’t be able to attend seminars or go to some client meetings and the clients began asking for me. Six months after being hired, Eric and I were walking down the aisle. We continued to provide independent career and college counseling for three years. Once we stopped that business, I continued providing one-on-one counseling for individuals and couples.

I began focusing on marriages in 2006 when GOD showed me there was a need for money matters in marriage guidance once couples were engaged yet BEFORE they got married. I can remember getting that message, doing the research and realizing how true it was… there wasn’t anyone saying marriages can succeed because you are talking about money. There my journey begin into the wedding industry.

What makes me different from other financial planners or financial experts?

First and foremost, I am not a financial planner. I am a Certified Educator in Personal Finances. Financial planners will more than likely talk to you about planning for your financial future when it comes to insurance, investing and retirement. I am focused on premarital financial counseling prior to your getting married as the prerequisite to marriage. The same way many of you will plan your wedding day, I am here to help you plan and chart out your money and marriage success.

I am asking you to step back and let’s talk about your financial behavior and background first as an individual, whether you are the bride or groom and then what is important to both of you as a couple preparing for marriage. We will journey down the path of your being an individual, then a husband, wife as well as other roles that affect your money and marriage decisions.

Another important aspect is I’m a happily married wife of over 15 years teaching about finances from my experience in my own marriage. My husband and I both came to our marriage with financial baggage, disclosed it before we got married and developed a plan to remove our debt and EXCEEDED our expectations. Therefore, when I provide premarital and post-marital financial counseling, I teach on how to establish a financial foundation, plan for your marriage, learning each other’s money language, dealing with debt, credit, bankruptcy, student loans and much more.

When you write and ask questions, you actually get ME. For those in the Denver area, I’m local and for those nationwide, we can work together via telephone, skype and even through chat sessions.

What type of couples do you work best with?

The couples I work with best are those that want to ensure their marriage WILL succeed because of financial talks and having a solid foundation from the start. Some of them are bringing their own financial baggage into the marriage and others are not, therefore; they are seeking outside guidance because they are thinking about their marriage. They are seeing beyond standing at the altar and saying, “I Do”. My couples value their relationship and like having their own personal financial advocate help them along the way to “pull out of them” what is important to the husband, what is important to the wife and constructively uniting it in a way both are happy and agree to.

What type of couples do you not work with?

I love working with couples and know how hard it is to ask for guidance when it comes to money. This is not for those couples that are not focused on premarital financial counseling because this is a very crucial beginning to their marriage. If you are a couple that can only view money from a negative aspect, or you will not do the work required of you, then we will not be a good fit for each other.

This all sounds wonderful, but seems expensive! Are we going to be able to afford this?

It is an investment in your Happily Financial Ever After. How many couples whether friends, family or colleagues do you know right now that are having financial challenges with each other? You have the opportunity for your marriage to be different and set the financial foundation for your marriage even before you walk down the aisle. Many of you have thought about your wedding day, you’ve dreamed about how many people will attend, what you and your future spouse will wear.. have you given that same thought to your money and marriage. What does it look like when it comes to finances? Who will manage the money? Will one person shoulder all the responsibility and the other is completely hands off? How will money decisions be made that affect everyone in the marriage? Premarital financial counseling is different than most of the things you will buy for your wedding because it can continue to give to you throughout your marriage in the area of financial guidance and answers.

This sounds like exactly what we’ve been looking for. What do we do next to get started?

Please take the time to review our packages and see the different levels of premarital financial counseling we offer. Take the time to talk this over with your future spouse and ensure that you both agree to the level of counseling that you need.

Once you have agreed on the level, then you can make your investment which secures your premarital financial counseling with Dr. Taffy.

I have a few questions before we get started. How do we get in touch with you?

Email me and I’ll be happy to provide you with the information you need to make an informed decision.

Congratulations on your engagement! I look forward to working with you and your future spouse!
Dr. Taffy